


The Weight of Love

by SometimesyougettheBear



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Longing, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 23:18:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5720761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SometimesyougettheBear/pseuds/SometimesyougettheBear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In the beginning, Derek was like the sun. ....."</p><p>This is a story about a boy. A boy who's in love with someone who doesn't love him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In the beginning, Derek was like the sun. Beautiful, iridescent, its rays spreading over your skin, enchanting everything he touched with gold.

It was great that Stiles had found his soulmate and fallen in love.

Well, it would be, except for a tiny, itsby, bitsy little issue.

Stiles was only five.

 And Derek was seven.

They say one cannot feel their soulmate so young.

But Stiles knew, he felt that tiny invisible tie between them like gossamer string, a heart beating in sync, and this outrush of emotion he couldn’t name.

And so that was how it was.

“The problem,” Stiles often thought, “was that Derek didn’t seem to realize they were soulmates yet.”

But it was okay, Stiles was persistent. He just needed to help Derek _understand_ they were perfect for each other.

Stiles started his operation small.

“D’rek,I saved you half an ice cream cone. I even got you chocolate chip”

“D’rek, I gots you a transformers to share with me”

For Valentines Day: “D’rek, I brought you sour gummy worms and reeses peanut butter cups, and my mommmy helped me write the card, it says, “I luv you”.

This was, of course, a disaster.

Obviously no seven year old wants to be followed around by someone (two _years!!)_  younger. Or receive stupid notes, or half eaten ice cream cones, or a weird Valentine.

After struggling to explain to Stiles why he didn’t want all the gifts and he couldn’t possibly be the mate of some weirdo; Derek had to talk to the principal about the five year old that was stalking him.

Then came a very uncomfortable discussion with two sets of parents around a wooden table in some small room, very serious faces, low hushed tones, and a long conversation before bedtime in which Stiles’s dad explained to him that maybe he needed to leave Derek alone for a while.

Stiles didn’t like it, and cried.

“Stiles, “ John Stilinski said patiently, “ Have you ever thought about what Derek wants? “

“He wants to be with me”, the five year old said stubbornly.

A second passes as John tries to think about how to handle this delicately.

“Of course he wants to be with you Stiles, but when we really love someone we have to listen to their words. So we have to listen to Derek and understand that he wants space, okay? Part of loving someone is well, listening to what they have to say. Mkay?” John tries.

He doesn’t know how much he has explained to the kid, to be honest he had no idea where Stiles had gotten this idea, but something changes in his son’s face. A brow smoothens.

“ok”, Stiles says, his thumb worrying at the corners of his mouth.


	2. Then the dream became a nightmare

So Stiles watches from afar.

No more presents, notes or little gifts.

Watches and waits for soulmate day when Derek would realize Stiles was his true love.

While he watches, he gathers all the information on Derek.

He learns Derek’s favorite color: green.

Favorite show: Adventure time.

Favorite character: Batman

He keeps a notebook in which he jots down all his observations.

Derek grows from a gawky seven year old, to an assured 15 year old. He shoots up several feet. His skin becomes tanner from playing all those sports. He is a son of the powerful Hale Werewolf Clan, and so he is strong, arrogant, and unafraid. He seems to succeed in everything he touches; sports, academics and life. By junior year he already has a succession of girlfriends, each more beautiful than the last.

It hurts Stiles. To see his mate kissing other girls, sharing those secrets with another’s ears.

He wonders if he is the only one who feels the tie, the pull.

Oh well. Stiles takes his mind of his mate by burying himself in his emissary studies. Stiles is not a werewolf, so he’s chosen to focus on emissary studies in high school so that he could hope to be useful to the Hale pack.

Stiles is great at research and is slowly learning Greek, Latin and Old English. However, casting spells is a struggle. Stiles has power, of course, he does, he’s known about the magic ever since he was little and could see things no one else sees. But for some reason when Stiles was trying to successfully finish a spell, his mind would wander to another thought like the delicious texture of curly fries and well…..let’s just say Stiles now works in a spell proof room after a few unfortunate accidents in class.

But none of it matters, because on February 14th, when the first true mates high school match opens, Stiles will be joined with Derek. He hopes Derek’s force will stabilize his power and make his magic easier to wield, simpler to focus.

And it is in Derek’s junior year, and Stiles’s freshman year, that the annual soulmatch occurs.

During the match, a glowing 2 feet tall boulder was set in the center of the high school gymnasium. Each class, from the freshman to the seniors would walk in. When their name was called, each student would place his or her hands on the boulder. The boulder would fluoresce with green light and their soulmate’s full name would appear across their chest.

Later at night, the gym was opened to older, unmated, members of the community. The unmated citizens would walk in one by one, usually alone at night when no one else could see them. It was considered a personal shame to stay so long unmated or a punishment for the sins committed in a past life.

Sometimes no name would appear, usually because

  * The soulmate was not of age , (Of age meant at least 15 years of age)
  * The soulmate was dead



Counselors were usually on standby to help unmated students deal with the sadness.

For the past three years, Derek had been unmated. He had hoped against hope that his mate was still alive. He could imagine her now, with brown streaming hair, freckles and a sunkissed grin.

On February 14th, Stiles quietly filed into the room. He hadn’t been able to eat the night before, throwing up his mother’s spaghetti. He felt that he was Derek’s mate, believed the truth somewhere deep inside him, deeper than his soul. But what if he was wrong? Maybe he really was delusional.

Those left unmated amongst the older classes came first. Usually about 68% of students found their match by sophomore year. Derek was one of the few juniors left to walk up to the gleaming stone. Closing his eyes, Derek pressed both hands on the stone, unaware of Stiles’s eyes watching keenly amongst the crowd of students behind him.

Usually the stone felt cool and dry, but today, the stone felt living, and warm. It shifted under his palms as Derek stood there. It felt like a fire hummed inside the center of the rock.

Derek’s heart caught in his throat.

_Could this be the moment he had dreamed of…?_

Then the dream became a nightmare as the voice boomed:

Stiles Stilinski

 


	3. Protegat

 

There are many tragedies in life. One of these is never getting what you want.

And the other is getting what you want.

Asleep, dreams are insubstantial, but when awake these dreams can become boulders that crush you under their own weight.

Stiles felt crushed the first few days.

First he saw the look of absolute horror on Derek’s face as his name was called. And the glowering look sent his way as Derek’s name sounded when Stiles placed his hands on the rock too.

After the ceremony, most mates were chatting with each other. Stiles tried to have a conversation with Derek but he was tense and miserable. And even Stiles’s indomitable chattering mouth could not get one word out of Derek.

“I think the stone must have made a mistake,” Stiles had heard Derek mutter those words under his breath before they all returned to class. And the words wounded Stiles like a pierced sword.

But that night, as Stiles wiped his eyes because something was in them--(Ok, yes he was crying, being rejected hurts!!!)— he vowed he would not be broken by this.

Derek was tall, strong, athletic, smart, from a good family and probably would be a leader of his own pack.

What could Stiles offer?

Well, not much.

So Stiles had to step up his game.

He worked harder on learning his Latin and Old English. He studied Norse and Celtic for fun in his spare time.

He memorized and practiced his spells with a singleminded obsession, turning spells in his head over and over and over again, working twice as hard to make up for his ADHD. Until each spell was perfect and crisp.

He started lifting and joined lacrosse, hoping that the sport would make him cooler and well, less of a loser.

And Derek seemed to notice.

For a while, it seemed like there was a spark between them. A barely noticeable chemistry that sparked between exchanged looks. Something in Stiles preened at the idea that his mate was looking at him. And that desire to impress Derek, pushed Stiles to work even harder.

On Derek’s birthday, Stiles caught a ride to the Hale house. Stiles wasn’t sure if the Hales knew about him yet, but that wasn’t something he wanted to bother too much about.

He had racked his mind, thinking of the best gift he could give Derek. His father and mother had little money and he had heard from Derek’s sister Cora that they had already bought him a birthday cake. After some consultation with Deaton, the spells teacher, Stiles had decided on what to do.

Holding his breath, Stiles wrapped on the door with the giant gold door knocker.

“Yes? Do I know you?” an older woman who looked just like Derek answered.

“I have a present for Derek, can I see him for a second?”

Talia Hale invited the strangely familiar young man in, watching as he crossed over the threshold.

The house was spelled so that anyone who wished the Hales harm would feel an electric shock as soon as they entered the house.

Stiles sat in the living room, seemingly unharmed.

Well, she thought, at least he doesn’t wish us ill.

“Derek” , Talia called, “ a classmate is here to see you,”

“coming, mom” her son answered.

As Derek entered the living room and made contact with the strange boy, she could feel it, the subtle vibration in the air, the instant connection like  a physical force between two mates.

This boy was her son’s perfect mate!

But Derek did not look as happy to see him, “What are you doing here, Stiles?” Derek asked in irritation.

“I brought you a birthday gift”

Stiles reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a silver chain ornamented by a single silver star. He had spent all his savings for the last two years on this necklace. Finding the right karat of silver for this type of work was hard.

“It’s a protegat. The latin translates to shield. Its protection charm, whenever you’re in danger, it’ll burn against your skin and glow red However, I decided to add a little riff on the charm. If you’re ever really in trouble, just say “Help me” and it’ll neutralize the threat. However, use that phrase sparingly. It can only neutralize a threat once,” Stiles explained.

“Happy birthday, Derek”, Stiles clasped the chain around Derek’s neck. He wanted to hug his mate, but he didn’t want to come on too strong.

So he simply smiled and left.

Talia Hale looked at the retreating door, “Was that your soulmate? Why didn’t you say anything? We could have had him over for dinner!”

“You already know him,” Derek grumbled, fingering the chain.

“Who is it?” Talia asked.

“Stiles Stilinski”

Talia looked at Derek in shock, and then resignation. “There was always something about that boy,” she said to herself.


	4. The nine and ten of swords

Maybe it was the influence of the necklace, which gave him a feeling of safety and security whenever he wore it. Maybe it was Stiles’s unswerving devotion.

Maybe Stiles had finally managed to win him over with his smiles, stupid comic books, and geeky earnest declarations of love.

Whatever it was, when Derek returned to school that senior year, he looked more fondly on Stiles.

He started to feel the bond between them and responded with grudging affection when Stiles greeted Derek in the hall. Hell, he even went to watch the avenger movies with Stiles and his friend Scott. Scott was cute and eager like a puppy dog. He was a bit of a weirdo, but nice enough.  He just made sure he left before any of his friends could see him.

Eventually the boys began to talk and a slow friendship began to develop. While it wasn’t the wham bam insta love Stiles had hoped for, it warmed his soul with a steady contentment and pride. Stiles found that his magic began to flow a little easier, he felt more grounded somehow, more himself than ever before.

And when Derek laughed at his jokes with even the tiniest of smiles, it gave him enough warmth to carry him through the whole day.

Of course, during one sleep over, when both boys had fallen asleep next to each other on the couch, Stiles was half in and out of a wet dream in which he was stroking Derek’s cock to warm hardness in his hands when he heard

“Stiles….”

Stiles jolted to wakefulness, “Oh My God, that wasn’t a dream, I am so so sorry.I—“

Stiles moved his hand.

“No,” Derek muttered, “I didn’t want you to stop.”

And that was how they went from friends to more than friends.

Stiles tended to be giving in the sexual arena. Derek had a strong hunch that Stiles was a bit submissive sexually.

Stiles liked to be the one giving the blowjobs, swallowing Derek’s cock so deep, his nose brushed Derek’s pubic hair. He liked to kiss Derek over and over worshipfully, lips pressing against each square inch of skin. He liked for Derek to take him hard and fast, teeth pressed to the long column of his pale throat.

Rarely did Stiles ever ask to top or for Derek to reciprocate. Derek got the feeling that Stiles was just happy Derek actually liked him. And well, yeah. Derek couldn’t help taking advantage of that a bit. Blowjobs in the bathroom between classes. Pounding in Stiles over and over until Stiles couldn't take anymore. Stiles couldn’t seem to tell Derek no.

Deaton held Stiles back behind class, “Stiles,I need to talk to you ”

“yes,sir” Stiles answered.

“I was drawing tarots and your name floated into my mind. These are the cards I drew,” Deaton finished, pulling out two cards.

In the first card, a woman sat partially arisen from bed, as if awoken from a dream. The bed, pillow and bedspread were all white creating a starkness to the portrait. She held her face in her hands, as if she was weeping.  On the black wall bedside her hung 9 swords in a row.

In the next card, a man in a red robe lie on the barren ground. The sky above him was black with a sea in the distance. The man’s body was pierced with ten swords.

“the nine and ten of swords,” Stiles breathed.

Deaton’s eyes looked old and sad, “yes, Stiles, be careful”


	5. Fire and Agony

Nothing gold can stay.

It was a line that stuck in Stiles head when he first met Kate. Late in Stiles’s sophomore year, Kate had strolled into Beacon Hills as a transfer student. She was everything Stiles was not,  A girl. Golden haired and effortlessly beautiful, turning every guy’s head with her ample breasts, her perfectly figured body.

And from the first day, her eyes were set on … Derek.

Stiles didn’t like her, her voice and her aura made him vaguely uneasy. But he felt secure in his relationship. Derek loved him. And if Derek didn’t really say it, well Derek was emotionally constipated, a man of few words.

Anyway, no one would pursue a mated one. What was the point?

But two weeks after her arrival, Derek became more distant, answered Stiles’s call less. He was working on a history project with Kate at her house.

And that history project continued every night for three weeks.

Some history project.

Derek could feel in his bond the moment his love turned to another. The slowly but inexorable shift of Derek’s affection towards Kate like iron drawn to a magnet.

 A month after Kate appeared, he could see her in the halls trading jokes with Derek. At the lunch table, sharing kisses and laughter.

Walking to classes, hand in hand.

Inside him the bond festered like an open wound.

Finally, at his buddy Scott’s urging, Stiles decided to ask Derek what was going on between them.

So Stiles texted Derek, “Hey, can I meet u up somtime?

But Derek would never respond.

Tried to pull Derek away but Kate was always there.

So finally, Stiles was forced to confront Derek head on. During lunch, Stiles carefully made his way from the loser table where he sat relegated to the outskirts of the cafeteria, and walked to Derek’s table. Derek sat in the center of the table surrounded by Kate and his closet buddies, talking and laughing.

“Can we talk, Derek?” Stiles asked, “please?”

Kate turned her perfect little nose up at Stiles in disgust.

“About what?”

“About us,” Stiles began.

“There is no us, Stiles” Derek replied.

“B-b-but”, Stiles stuttered, “we’re mated”

Derek turned to look at Kate who was sitting on his left hand side.

“Just because we’re mated doesn’t mean we should be together,” Derek answered.

“That’s ridiculous,” Stiles answered, “we are literally perfect for each other.  Can’t you feel the bond between us?”

“No.” Derek’s face was stony and emotionless.

“I never felt anything”

Stiles seemed to crumple in front of Derek.

Derek held his breath.

 _Could he do this?_  Derek thought. _Could he,_ as Kate had hinted _, take charge of his destiny?_

“We were never right for each other, Stiles. Even when we were young, you always embarrassed me. You’re a weak human and I’m destined to be alpha of my own pack. You say the wrong things at the worst times, wear ugly clothing, can never keep your mouth shut and you can’t even take no for an answer. You’re pathetic,” Derek finished.

Stiles had tears standing in his eyes, “What about all those times we slept together and everything we shared?”

Derek laughed, “Did you think we were “making love” and “whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears?” Derek pantomimed, to the laughs from his entourage.

“Come on Stiles, you were just a body to be used. I got what I wanted,” Derek laughed.

Stiles swallowed the pain in his throat and turned to go.

But Derek had one final blow.

“Oh and by the way, I absolutely reject you as my mate,”

Stiles felt the mating bond inside him stretched thing. He vaguely heard a ripping sound and it felt like the noise was coming from inside him.

He could feel nothing but. Fire. Agony.

And everything went black


	6. No hard feelings?

Word of what Derek had done spread far and wide throughout the school. It was rumored that Stiles had to be taken away by an ambulance.

Some thought Derek was cruel. But his friends and bros slapped him on the back. Kate, especially, was ecstatic. That night, they had sex. And it was great.

The next day, all the other seniors looked at Derek with envy. And Derek puffed with pride, he was king of the hill. Captain of the lacrosse team. Sure to be homecoming King.

Life was good.

Except Stiles didn’t come to school the next day, or the day after that, or that week.

Derek thought Stiles was being dramatic as he always was. Those little words Kate had mentioned to him couldn’t have that much weight. Words were just words.

That Friday, at the Hale’s weekly family dinner. Cora started the trouble.

“So, Derek repudiated Stiles on Tuesday.”

Alex Hale, Derek’s father looked at his son in horror.

“Whaaaaaat?” Each syllable raised in a higher octave than the one before.

It put Derek on edge.

“Stiles just wasn’t right for me.” Derek said defensively.

“But,” Mr. Hale continued, “You just argued with right? You didn’t actually _repudiate_ him?”

Derek saw an out and decided to take it, “yeah. Yeah.”

Of course Cora had to ruin it again, “Derek said he rejected Stiles as his mate,”

The table was silent. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hale were aghast.

“How could you?” his mother said sobbingly.

After a long tearful night, Derek finally was made to understand that “rejecting someone as a mate”, in those words, was not simply a powerful phrase, as Kate had said, but an invocation.

When one rejected someone as a mate, he or she cut the mating bond between them, leaving them open and adrift. A human would feel the pain of a dozen heartbreaks when hearing those words. But for an emissary or magic worker like Stiles the impact was far worse. Since a mages’s mating bond tied directly to their magic and the fibres of their soul, rejecting a mage as a mate was similar to cutting their soul in two. Doing so would leave long gashes inside them that could never be repaired.

Derek had never felt so awful in his life. His wolf howled mournfully all night. He couldn’t sleep.

* * *

 

Stiles came back to school the following Monday.

But he seemed like a completely different person.

While the old Stiles was a funny guy, a trickster, this Stiles barely even spoke.

He seemed to have love nearly ten or fifteen pounds. And how could that be possible within a week? His eyes had permanent shadows under them and he came to school every day in the same black hoodie.

This time it was Derek who tried to speak to Stiles.

Between classes, Derek caught a quiet moment to speak to Stiles.

Looking around to make sure no one was looking, Derek darted towards Stiles and tapped him on the shoulder.

A pale and pained face turned towards him.

“Hey,Stiles, are you okay? I heard you took that whole thing about not being mates pretty hard. Man,” Derek tried to be casual.

“No hard feelings, right?” Derek tried to shake Stiles’s hands.

Stiles laughed in a way that Derek had never heard him laugh before. It was harsh, cutting caustic, kind of scary.

After a few seconds of this, Stiles continued, “You ripped my soul in half and left me dead inside,” Stiles said. These words, from anyone else, would have sounded angry, but Stiles just sounded cool, unemotional, and flat.

“I would be angry, but I don’t really have feelings anymore. So yeah, I guess we’re okay.” Stiles shrugged.

And then turned to walk away.

Derek hadn’t realized how much he had counted on Stiles pursuing him, always trying to impress him with a witty comment or remark. He found himself feeling inexplicably sad. Kate, while loving, didn’t have that irrepressible eagerness and enthusiasm that Stiles did. She liked him but did not _need_ him, not the way Stiles did.

Favored him, but didn’t worship him.

He introduced her to his family and they all were grudgingly friendly but decidedly cool towards her.

Kate and Derek explored the Hale lands and house as the end of senior year neared. Sometimes that exploration turned to something more.

But Derek’s wolf had begun to pine for another. Kate was not enough, the hunger could not be satisfied.


	7. Shells

Stiles felt nothing now. He didn’t remember more about the week he was out. There was agony, and then wakefulness, crying, screaming, cutting marks across his body, calling himself worthless, sometimes he could hear his voice asking to be “Why?”

But then after a few days when the bond loss stabilized, he just felt nothing.

He slept and woke up in the same clothes. He showered at least once every few days.

He made his dad dinner at 5. Homework at 6. Old cartoons at 9 pm.

He felt like he was just watching his life through the eyes of someone else.

Daylight and Night meant no difference.

Even Scot, his buddy and possibly the world’s most-unobservant-friend-ever had to say something during one of their Friday movie nights.

“Stiles, you’re a shell of yourself”

Stiles shrugged.

“Look,” Scott said, “I know you are majorly bummed out about Derek but you’ll get over it,”

Stiles wanted to believe that, but it never seemed to be getting better.

Each day was agony, making him wonder why he even got out of bed.

His dad tried to send him to counselling, but Stiles felt it wouldn’t help.

And if that wasn’t bad enough Stiles was having nightmares about Derek and the Hale house to be exact. He saw the Hale house going up in flames. Derek dying and somehow it was all connected to Kate Argent. Her face flashed before his eyes every night, accompanied by an intense feeling of foreboding.

Stiles never wanted to see Derek again, but he felt compelled to warn him.

“I know you won’t believe me but Kate is a danger to you Derek,” Stiles warned Derek while they were picking up their morning books.

“I thought we were over this,” Derek said, “now jealousy too? Get over it Stiles, I don’t love you.”


	8. The Weight of my love for you

The night after Derek’s graduation, a feeling gripped Stiles and would not let him leave.

It was an intense fear and a feeling that he was being summoned to the Hale house.

Stiles didn’t want to go.

“Why are you making me do this?” Stiles asked himself.

 _Because even if he hates us, repudiates us, he is still our mate_ the voice inside him replied.

So Stiles walked to the Hale house. It was the night after Derek’s graduation and Stiles knew that the entire Hale family would be sleeping in their beds.

Something told him to crouch behind some shrubbery and watch in silence.

Outside, he saw Kate and a few other he did not know slowly creating an ash circle around the house.

And then Kate took a gallon of gasoline, and ringed the entire house, setting everything on fire.

Stiles’s sluggish mind realized that Kate would burn every member of the Hales inside their houses alive and since no one could break the mountain ash circle, no member would escape.

Even though Stiles mostly hated Derek right now for what he had done, Stiles still couldn’t allow anyone to suffer this way. If not Derek, what about the rest of his innocent family?

Stiles waited until Kate and her helpers were gone.

Then he ran to, breaking the mountain ash line around the house, calling every spell he knew to douse the flames.

Stiles knocked on the door, “Derek! Mrs. Hale! Come out now!”

But stiles realized that just ringing the buzzer would not be enough.

So he used a voice amplifying spell, “Derek! Mrs. Hale! Cora! Wake up!”

His voice shook the foundations of the house, reaching to the basement where the wolves slept and rousing them out of their stupor. Unfortunately, Stiles knew, his voice would also alert Kate to his presence.

Stiles could hear the Hales, running up from the basement to the first floor, looking around to see their house covered in flames.

Derek was able to break through the door, and then Laura, Mr and Mrs. Hale, along with Cora, Matt , Uncle Peter, Ben and several clan member Stiles did not know. They all stood watching the ruin of their home.

“You did this,” Derek lunged at Stiles, wrapping his fingers around Stiles’s neck.

“No,” Stiles squeaked, his voice hoarse, “I didn’t do this. Kate did.”

“Stop your lies, you did it out of some twisted desire for revenge” Derek growled, if any---“

“You might want to listen to your bonded, love,” a silky voice replied, “or perhaps the right word would be.. Ex-bonded.”

“Kate?”

Both Derek and Stiles turned around.

“Yes, I did set this fire. And I would have destroyed all of you if it wasn’t for your stupid mate and his undying love,” she sneered.   
“You disgust me.”

“Luckily I brought Kanima venom in my pocket just in case the fire didn’t work.” Kate chuckled. She notched any arrow into her bow and shot it straight into Derek’s heart.

Stiles looked at Derek, distraught.

“No,” he whimpered.

Then as he bent over the body of his dying mate, he realized that Derek still wore his silver star.

“Do you still believe in me?” Stiles asked Derek.

“Yes,” Derek was lying on the floor panting, black blood spilling from his mouth.

“Say “help me”” Stiles ordered.

“Help me,” Derek muttered in confusion.

Immediately a burst pf white light travelled from the tip of the necklace to the place where the arrow had struck Derek’s chest, suffusing Derek with warmth and healing everything the poison had touched.

Derek’s skin began to knit itself back together.

Behind both Derek and Stiles, Talia shifted into full wolf form, and attacked Kate.

The battle between both women was harsh, bloody and short. Eventually, Kate had been ripped to shreds by angry werewolf claws, but in the process some venom had pierced her skin through a poisoned sword.

Talia lay dying.

“Do something, Stiles,” Derek cried, “please do something”

“I can’t do anything Derek, I don’t know enough to…”

“Please,” Derek’s eyes ran with tears, “I can’t lose her. Please.”

And even then, something inside Stiles was tugged by the pleading of his mate.

Once Stiles started this, he knew the sacrifice could cost him his magic and therefore his sanity. But it seemed almost allright, it wasn’t like a broken bond life was really worth living anyway.

Stiles called up his most powerful healing spell, Asklepios Asuntare.

Maybe if he had been joined to Derek in a healthy bond, and with Derek contributing strength Stiles might have been able to do this spell safely.

But with a half bond, and already depleted from the spells he had cast earlier, Stiles was pulling all the magic deep in his well.

When Stiles felt the pull at his lifeforce, he let that power go into the spell, letting the words slowly sap his life energy.

As dying went, it wasn’t a bad way to go.


	9. Truth learned in fire

Derek learned a lot of truths the night of the fire.

First, He realized he was selfish and stupid. For what he had done to Stiles and almost done to his family, he would never forgive himself.

Second, Hunters like Kate and werewolves don’t mix.

Third, when you mess up the universe doesn’t always give you a chance to make it right,

Derek walked into the Echo House, as he did every Thursday at 4:45. He was never late. Never missed an appointment. Room 241B.

Second floor, third door to the left.

Stiles was rocking back and forth. Back and forth, rhythmically while looking outside the window.

Stiles seemed calm, so he guessed it was one of the good days.

“Hey, Stiles, I brought you flowers,” Derek said, in a fake cheery way.

“haha, I’m kidding I brought you comic books. I know how much you used to love them.”

Derek said, his voice wavering with tears.

Stiles continued rocking, looking out the window glassily as if he didn’t even know Derek was there.

Apparently the last spell Stiles had done was too much for his broken body and mind. Stiles had brought his mother back to life but paid the ultimate price for a boy who had never even loved him back.

And now Stiles no longer talked. He was sedated often, otherwise he would mutter nonsensical words to himself, trying to hurt himself with sharp objects. Sometimes the nurses could make out the words “worthless” and “Derek” and “no”.

The psychiatrists said Stiles had suffered a complete mental break, and due to the severity of his psychosis, suggested it was extremely unlikely that Stiles would ever be okay again.

Derek  remembered all those years ago when a five year old had tried to give a seven year old his ice cream cone, remembered the smile as he sat looking at his shell of a mate. The empty husk that used to be Stiles.

Derek had cried.

Begged, pleaded with Stiles to please, please come back to him. That he was so sorry that Stiles was not worthless. “I accept you, Stiles. I love you”. Anything.

But Stiles just watched him impassively like a God of stone far above the reach of human suffering. Like one who looks out of a dream.

But Derek could not give up on his mate. He had always broken promises, never understood the that love was not as airy as the sky, but poignant, and heavy, a weight upon him. So every Thursday at 4:45, he’d come in with a new comic to read to Stiles.

Derek turned the newest DC comic book page, so he began

“Wonder woman was…..”

Outside it was warm, and the sun spread iridescent rays everywhere it touched, across the green glossy hills where birds were singing.

 

The End

 

 

 


End file.
